News Broadcasting
BBC Worldwide inks first-look deal with SPT
MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide, the BBC’s main commercial arm, has signed a three year,first-look deal with Sony Pictures Television (SPT) for scripted series in the US.
The deal gives SPT a first-look option to develop and produce scripted comedy and drama series for the US market based on BBC formats.
“This is a great opportunity to be working with the new management team at Sony’s Television Studio and we look forward to developing exciting new projects with them in the future,” says BBC Worldwide senior VP programming, Paul Telegdy.
“This deal reinforces BBC Worldwide’s commitment to growing its production business in the US,” addsTelegdy.
SPT co-president programming and production, Zack Van Amburg, adds, “We feel very fortunate to be in business with the BBC. We aspire to be innovative and the BBC, with its creative ingenuity, is a perfect partner for us.”
According to media reports, BBC Worldwide plans to be actively involved in the development of as many as 25 projects under the deal with SPT, and the Corporation is moving away from the licensing model and more toward hands-on production in the lucrative US scripted series marketplace.
As part of that new strategy, BBC Worldwide is already producing the hit series Dancing with the Stars for ABC, although that show is not scripted, and reality series are apparently not included in the new deal.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
